Blood glucose level

[G max]

I decided to purchase a blood glucose test kit just to keep an eye on my levels
So i used the GlucoNavii blood sugar meter as suggested and found it ver straghtforward.
my reading was 6.1mmmol/L and from what I could gather this seems to be an ok level ?
but again being so new to this forum and pre-diabetes diagnosed I am not too sure.
It does not seem to correspond with the previous readings I have had, but maybe this is a different format,
so not too sure.
any advice much appreciated.

 

[Drummer]

@G max - when was the test done?
Blood glucose levels are affected by the time of day and when the last meal was eaten.
You are right that the result of 6.1mmol/l is not elevated at all - but it would help to have some context.
You might have been given your Hba1c level in a similar form, but that is the amount of glycose attached to red blood cells and is an indication of glucose control over the last few months - the two tests are not easily connected.
I used to eat no more than 50gm of carbs, and had Hba1c of 42 so I thought I'd reduce down into the 30s by reducing carb intake by 10gm a day. I went for a test a year later and my Hba1c was - 42. That is using the other units for Hba1c, which does mean that there is less confusion between the tests.

 

[Lurcher67]

Hi, I am fairly new on here too. What I have picked up is that you should test before eating and then again 2 hours after food. Non diabetic person would have a fasting BG level between 4-7 and would expect a rise of 2-3 above the pre food level, not going above 8.5. So if you are starting at 6, then anything that you eat which does not raise the level above 8.5 would be ok. That meal could be considered ok and you need not test that again. Anything over 9 and you could look at portion size or excluding the food that caused the rise. It is trial and error, but it is usually the known high carb foods (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes etc) that cause my BG to spike. Pre- diabetes means you probably won’t have to make too many adjustments to reduce your HbA1c. Although the finger prick testing wont give you a reading for HbA1c, though a downward trend should result in lower HbA1c. There is a great deal of advice on here and plenty of people who have been in the same boat willing to help.

 

[G max]

My initial test result was 42 mmol/mol which was considered to be abnormal and therefore the pre-diabetes diagnosis came about. what is the difference therefore with the /mol to just the /L as i am finding this very confusing
thank you for all your help. Really all I am trying to establish is if this is a lower or higher reading than the 42 mmol/mol

 

[Martin.A]

My initial test result was 42 mmol/mol which was considered to be abnormal and therefore the pre-diabetes diagnosis came about. what is the difference therefore with the /mol to just the /L as i am finding this very confusing
thank you for all your help

There's no direct correlation between the two but the attached is a rough guide (HbA1c inside the coloured zone, roughly-equivalent finger prick numbers below it):-

 

[trophywench]

If you mean the test your Dr did from the result of which he diagnosed your pre-diabetes, it's neither the same units, nor even the same test although both indicate 'blood glucose'.

Test at Drs, using a sample from a vein, in a vial, sent off to a lab, and is called an HbA1c test. It measures how much glucose was stuck to your Haemoglobin cells (ie red blood cells) at that time, and because they can't tell how old those blood cells are, and know they only live for between 90 and 120 days so some will be new and some old, some in between, the result is frequently expressed as being 'the average over )the last 3 months'. No diabetes = result under
40ish. Pre D = 42 -47. D itself = 48 and above.

Fingerprick test at home, glucose in the blood in that particular finger, at that exact split second. Test at any time of day, no D = 4 - 7 ish unless within 2 hrs of eating when it can go up, but not all that much; say 8.5 ish. That 4 is also 'ish' cos it's quite possible and perfectly OK to be under 4 with no ill effects, except a strong possibility the brain will tell you that you need a cuppa and a biscuit, please - or about time you had your dinner mate! etc. (My OH's body clock is very efficient at doing that one for him 🙂 )

I'm sure others type quicker than me, but it is Wimbledon !

 

[Lurcher67]

My initial HbA1c blood test result was 81, after 3 months it was 52, so this is reflected in my finger prick tests which vary according to what I have eaten. Mine tend to be higher in the morning before breakfast than in the afternoon before tea, but the general trend is downwards so that is what I aim for. Your 42 is just borderline pre-diabetes so I would think you could bring that back to 41 or lower fairly easily. Is there anything in your diet that you could reduce or eliminate? I cut out my daily biscuits and crisps, other starchy foods I am working on, I eat a lot less bread/toast but haven’t managed to break away from it completely yet. Exercise is also helpful. The learning zone on this site is very educational. When I get to Hba1c of 42, I will be very happy, so don’t panic, try a few small changes that are sustainable long term. Use the monitor to check which foods raise your BG level and either cut them out, reduce portion size or eat less frequentry.

 

[Leadinglights]

Higher readings in the morning are common as it is the liver being super helpful in releasing glucose in the absence of food to give you energy, taking the reading when still in bed can give lower readings. It is often referred to as Foot on the Floor Phenomenon.